Mail-bag



A. B. QUINAN.

(No Model.)

MAIL BAG.

Patented Feb. 19, 18891.

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llNiTED STATES vPATENT FFICE.

ALLEN B. QUINAN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

MAILrl BAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,185, dated February 19, 1889,

Y Application filed December 6, 1888. Serial No. 292,795. (No model.)

To all zlftom, t 17mg/ con/cern.' l

Be it known that I, ALLEN B. QUINAN, a l resident of Baltimore, in .the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful i Improvements in Mai l-Bags; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ot' the inifention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it f pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in mailbags; and it consists in the peculiar com struction and combination et devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure -l is a .perspective view of a mail-bag embodying my improvel ments, showing the same open. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the bag closed. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional. view taken on the line 4r of Fig. 9. Fig. at is a similar view taken on the line y of Fig. 2.

The mail bag A has the usual tlap, B,1 adapted to fold over and close its mouth. The said iiap is re-enforced at its ends by rectanguiar plates of metal, C, secured to its inner side by rivets er other suitable means.

The front of the bag over which the Iiap folds and the said flap and the back of the bag of which the iiap forms a part are provided with vertical slots I), which are preferably chased with metal to prevent wear, and adapt the bag to be readily suspended from the hooks of the dock when distributing mail-matter and placing the same therein.

The front and rear sides of the bagare provided near their upper edges, at their centers, with transverse slots E, which are adapted to register with each other when the bag is closed, and are also chased with metal, as shown. The flap B has a similar slot, F, that registers with the slots E when said flapis folded over the mouth of the bag.

G represents a supplemental flap, which is secured at its lower edge to the front side of the bag at a suitable distance from the upper end ot' the latter, and the said iiap G is adapted to be closed over the ilap B whe-n the bag is closed and 1o lap over the rear side of the mouth of the bag. Said ila-p G is of somewhat less width than the bag, so as to enable the latter to hang distended from the dock and to avoid crowding the adjacent mailbags on either side.

The flap G is provided on its inner side with a pair of parallel transverse metallic reen'forcing plates or stri ps, H I, the latter being nearest the edge of the iiap. The plate H has on its center a projecting staple, K, adapted to pass through the registering slots F F when the bag is closed, and the plate I has a central slot, L, that engages the said staple on the rear side of the bag when the ap G is folded over the mouth ot' the bag and over the iiap B. The said slot L has a metallic chasing, M, provided with an extended plate, N, on the outer side of the flap, and the edges ot the said plate are turned up and grooved or beveled on their inner sides in such manner as to adapt them to receive and hold the label O, on which is the name of the post-office to which the mail-bag is destined.

The keeper of a padlock-such as is commonly employed to fasten mail --bags--is passed through the staple, and the bag may be thereby locked.

The plates C serve to stiften the ends et' the flap B and prevent the same from being bent or lifted when the bag is closed and locked, and render it impossible for a person to insert his hand or any instrument into the mouth of the bag at either corner thereof, as will be apparent. The re-enforce plates H I being on the inner side ofthe fia-p G are concealed from sight when the bag is closed and protected from the weather and dampness.

A mailbag thus constructed is very cheap and simple, may be readily and quickly opened and closed, and when locked is secure against the abstraction of any its contents except by cutting or otherwise mutilating the bag.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- The bag having the openingsE on opposite sides, adapted to register when the bag is closed, the iiap B, adapted to fold over the mouth of the bag and provided with the open ing F, to register with openings E, and pro- 1 vided, further, with the stii'lening metallic plates C at its corners, for the purpose set forth, the supplement-al iap G, secured to one side of the bag and adapted to fold over the [iop B, the sifiIening-plntes II I, secured to the inner side of said supplemental l flap, said plate H having the staple K, adapted to eX- tend through the registering Openings E F, and said plate I having the opening L, adapted to receive the projecting end of the Staple, Substantially as described.

In testimony whereof have signed this speccation in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

o ALLEN B. QUINAN.

ViivneSses:

MURRAY IIANsoN, CHARLES L. SMITH. 

